My Treasure//Bang Yedam

방예담

He looked over his balcony, watching princes line up for him. "Prince Yedam, you should get ready for this long day," Yedam pulled his eyes away from the sight of many handsome princes and to his pinky. The red string tugged at his finger, his eyes following the thread to see the boy he grew up with. "Midam made you some snacks for the day." 

"Thank you, Kyu," Junkyu smiled at his nickname, the tattoo printed on his cheek moved closer to his eye as he did so. Yedam followed Junkyu out of the room, the two walking to the room where he would get to meet the different suitors he had to look through. "The line is long, aren't you jealous?" Junkyu chuckled. 

"Slightly, but I'm your brother now, so I can't do much," Junkyu pulled his chair out for him to sit, which he gladly took the seat. "Though your promise still stands, right?" Yedam nodded his head, flipping through a folder with multiple profiles. 

"Of course. If I can't find anyone and my soulmate is trash, I'll gladly marry you," Junkyu smiled happily as he organized the folders. "and I'll do anything to convince my parents to let me."

The two finished their conversation as the first prince walked in, someone Yedam was very familar with. "Prince Hwang Hyunjin, it's a pleasure to see you again."

Hyunjin smiled charmingly, bowing to Yedam before straghtening his back. "Yes, it truly is a pleasure. Do you think you'll meet your soulmate in this line, Prince Yedam?" Yedam chuckled, a smirk tugged on his lips.

"I'll be asking questions," Yedam felt the awkward stare from Junkyu on him. "Prince Hyunjin." The line seemed to pass by quickly, the one princes that had caught his interest were Prince Hyunjin, Prince Jeongin, Prince Jihoon, and Prince Samuel.

"Pass. Pass. Pass. Pass." The word was repeated over and over, the folder in Yedams hand continued to be passed to Junkyu, where he took care of all of the rejected Princes.

As Yedam waited for the next prince, two loud voices spoke from the hall. "Yukhei, I'll miss you guys." The voice was female and Yedam quirked a brow upon the unfamiliar voice. "Only for a week," A male voice responded. "So hurry and get this over with."

The door swung open, revealing a girl. A princess. And Yedam knew exactly who she was. He had never spoke to her since he had two chances to meet her and she never showed up to any of them. "Princess Chinmae..." Yedams voice trailed off as he took her folder into his hands, flipping through the pages made by the King and Queen.

"Yes?" She piped, awkwardly standing in the middle of the room.

"We're the same age..." Chinmae could only nod her head silently, staring at the two boys in front of her. More like staring at one of them, and it was the boy who was standing up with a tattoo on his cheek. "I'll be asking you some questions. First question: what are your thoughts about heterosexuals and homosexuals?" Or at least thats what she expected to hear. 

"Heterosexuals don't belong here, get out sinful bitch." Tearing her eyes away from the boy standing, she looked at Yedam, her mouth hung ajar. Yedam watched her reaction, watching her every movement. She set her hand on her hip ('a very girl stance' Yedam thought) as she growled in irritation. 

"Thanks for the warm welcome, prince of assholes." She scoffed, glaring straight at Yedam. Junkyu stifled his laughter, clearing his throat not to long after. 

"Good to know I'm not a prince of vagina's, that's straight," Yedam retorted, throwing her folder onto the floor in front of her. Chinmae could only look at him in bewilderment. "If I could stop the war by just touching you, I wouldn't even dare to get close to you." It seemed like something in Chanmae snapped, her breathing grew heavier as she stared at him. 

"Do you think this war is funny? Oh, probably because it's thousands of kingdoms against one kingdom, the outcome is already obvious. Killing thousands of people just because of their way of love is very funny, isn't it." Chinmae took a step closer to him, her fists clenched. 

"Well to be very honest, I'm not the only one complaining. Wasn't it just two years ago when you appeared dressed as a man complaining about marrying off to a prince in another kingdom?" Yedam pressed on the matter, making Chinmae's blood boil. She took a couple more steps forward, making Junkyu stand a bit more protectively of Yedam. "Wouldn't it be sad if no prince were to marry you? Your kingdom would-"

Chinmae's fist flew towards Yedam, her hand opening to give him a slap. A loud noise quickly quieted the room, silence and thick tension suffocated them. Yedam's face was full of shock and bewilderment as Chinmae's expression was the same. Junkyu stood in front of Yedam, his cheek burning bright red from the slap. 

He let out a hiss of pain, not because of the slap, but because the tattoo on his cheek faded away from his skin. Chinmae followed suit, cradling the hand that she slapped him with, the one with her tattoo that was printed in the middle of her palm. 

"First, there is your best friend, someone who is loyal to you, this person is - to simply put it - special. This person is connected to you from a tattoo that is printed on your body and can only disappear if you touch this soulmate with your tattoo. Their tattoo should match with your tattoo." Taeil's voice rang through Chinmae's ears causing a shiver to run down her spine. It had been roughly eight years since he taught her that and she remembered his exact words. 

"Wh-what?" Yedam stammered, his eyes flicking from Junkyu to Chinmae and back to Junkyu. A lump formed in his throat. 

"Y-You're my soulmate?" Chinmae stuttered as she looked at Junkyu, truly dumbfounded by the whole situation. She almost wanted to laugh. "You're the first soulmate that I met." She muttered loudly enough for the two boys to hear. They knew exactly what that meant, and she did too. 

"You are not staying another second here. I'll have one of my servants take you home." Yedam spoke harshly, a glare formed as he looked at her still bewildered figure. Junkyu couldn't help but feel the same. 

"What's the point of going home now? If I found my first soulmate here then that means my life is meant to stay here, meaning..." Her eyes lifted away from Junkyu and back to Yedam, which he only scowled to. 

"No way in Hell am I marrying a woman. Especially you. Nothing is clear yet. There was once a man who had his three soulmates in different areas." Yedam tried to explain but Chinmae only cut him off. 

"And everyone knows that they all lived where he found his first soulmate. It became tradition if such a thing were to happen." Junkyu slowly nodded his head, looking down at Yedam. 

"Sorry My Prince, but Princess Chinmae is correct. Even though it rarely happens, its tradition." Yedam growled, shifting his glare at Junkyu, who calmly stood beside him. 

"Kyu, we are sending her back home this instant. I will not have her back in the palace. What if she's lying and she met her Kin Soulmate! Only she can see the red string of fate!" Junkyu bit his lip, confused. Kin came before Friends, and Love came before Kin, but it was hard to know what to say. 

What his Friend soulmate logic told him that she was correct, and she really was, but since his Kinship was stronger he felt the need to agree with his prince. His thoughts swirled around his head, beginning to feel dizzy, but then Chinmae spoke up. 

"I'll leave then, but expect for my return. No matter how much I dread and will dread coming here, I will end up here despite my complaints." And with that, she slipped out of the room. 

Yedam could never see her for more than an hour. To him, she was mysterious.